May 2013

1) What is your major and class standing at the UO?
I am a Senior General of Social Science major with a concentration in business and economics. I am graduating this June.

2) What are you hoping to do after you graduate?
Business Manager is what I am looking to get into after I graduate. There are some really new management programs at some bigger companies right now that I have been interviewing for. I will also keep reffing high school and youth football in the area, like I have been for the last 8 years.

3) What was your branch of service and when did you serve?
I served in the Navy from 1994-1998. I was a plank owner on the USS Harpers Ferry LSD-49, which means I was part of the first crew to ever be on that ship. Being able to visit so many places like Australia, Oman, Singapore, going through the Panama Canal 3 times, having our ship commissioned in New Orleans, and so many other awesome places was an amazing experience.

4) How do you feel your service has impacted who you are today?
The biggest thing in the Navy that has impacted the rest of my life was when two supervisors independently told me, “You are very smart, dedicated, and have a great work ethic. Your only problem is you have no confidence in yourself.” So those two supervisors took me under their wing and helped me see what I could do if I believed in myself more. It has helped me so much in my life since then; these two guys had such a huge impact on my life. IC1 Richardson and EN1 Dahl were such great mentors that I will always remember them as people that have impacted my life in such a positive way. They looked passed this very quiet side of being fresh out of high school going into the Navy and saw the potential of what I could be. Thank you very much to those two.

5) One thing I miss about the military….
The thing I missed about the military was the family atmosphere on the ship. As a new ship you are not getting on the ship all different years. It makes it a family when you get there around the same time. I knew all of the 314 crew members. We were all very close, which made it so much easier for people to always be willing to help each other at the drop of a dime.

6) I am a member of the VFSA because…
I grew up in the Eugene area. I have always been a University of Oregon fan. I always knew it was going to be the University that I was going to graduate from. Then last spring I saw an ad in the non-traditional newsletter to become the co-director of the VFSA. I applied and got it. I wanted this job to help the University of Oregon become so much better for its veterans population. I wanted to leave it better for the future student veterans that will be coming here to the University of Oregon. It is such an awesome community that I am so glad to be apart of.